


Speak Easy To Me

by bfketh



Series: And the Moon Shines on Your Wings [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prohibition Era, Canonical Character Death, Illegal Activities, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period-Typical Racism, Slurs, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-03-15 08:29:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3440423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bfketh/pseuds/bfketh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erwin Smith is an upstanding businessman, pillar of the Chicago community, vocal supporter of the Anti-Saloon League, and generous philanthropist. He's also the godfather and guardian of Eren Jaeger, having taken him and his adopted sister in when he was twelve, after his father's disappearance and the death of his mother at the hands of men working for a cut-throat gang calling themselves "The Titans."</p><p>With one of Erwin's employees, a taciturn young man from the East Coast named Levi, assigned to watch him, Eren soon finds himself thrust into a world of guns, gangsters, and gin-runners.</p><p>Oh, did I mention that Erwin is also the proprietor of Freedom's Wings, one of the most popular speakeasies in Tower Town?</p><p>It seems that in Prohibition Era Chicago, everyone has a secret - or two - in their basement.</p><p>(Continuation of <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/2225577">Bottle It Up</a>, covering both the "before" and "after" of that story.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Uprooted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: About the "Period-Typical Racism" and "Slurs" Tags - This applies to the dialog and attitudes of certain minor and side characters. It will be showing up ONLY in their dialog and not in the narrative text, and it will only be showing up sparingly. I do not support or condone such attitudes, but these are NOT nice people using them.

**~ July 1921 ~**

**~ Chicago - Jackson Park Highlands ~**

"Eren. Eren, sweetie, wake up."

Eren sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and blinking up at his mother. Carla was dressed for bed, a housecoat pulled tight around her, and a worried expression on her face. He could see Mikasa hovering behind her, a similar housecoat covering her nightgown.

"Eren, I need you to do something. Take Mikasa, and go to Mr. Hannes's house. Go the back way; stay away from the roads. Can you do that for me?"

"What's going on, Ma?"

"There's no time, Eren. You have to get out of here. Hurry!"

Before he had time to protest, Carla had bundled him and Mikasa into their shoes, and sent them out the back. Eren thought he could hear a car door slam on the road out front. He hesitated. "Ma, aren't you coming?"

"I have to stay here. Go. Both of you, remember, I love you."

"But, Ma-"

"Eren Jaeger!" Carla reached out and pinched his ear, hard. "You listen to your mother! Now, run! And don't look back." She gave him a push toward the trees behind their property, and Eren did as he was told, grabbing his sister's hand and trotting across the yard. He could hear men's voices talking behind him now, but he didn't hear any cries of alarm.

Just before he and Mikasa disappeared into the shadow of the trees, he defied his mother's orders and looked over his shoulder. The house was completely dark, but Eren thought he saw a shadow moving around to the back door, where they'd been only moments before.

Cutting through the narrow band of trees, it didn't take long to reach old man Hannes's house. Eren pounded on the door until Hannes opened it, scratching his head and looking down at them in confusion. "Eren? Mikasa? What're you kids doing here?"

"Ma told us to come here."

Mikasa piped up, "There was a car with no lights on pulling up to the house."

Eren got a very uneasy feeling in his gut as Hannes blanched before pulling them both inside. "You kids wait here, alright? I'm gonna make a quick phone call to someone, and then we're gonna get in my car, and I'll take you kids somewhere safe. Just be good and stay put until I get back."

Hannes left, and they could hear his voice faintly coming from another room, talking to someone named "Smith." Eren looked out the window, back toward his house. He could barely see a yellow light from one of the windows, blinking through the trees.

A second later, he was running out of the door, ignoring Mikasa's shout of "Eren! Wait!"

When he got closer, he could see that the light was coming from the parlor, and he crept next to the house, sticking to the shadows. The window was wide open to catch the summer breeze, and when he craned his head, Eren could just make out his mother, surrounded by four men. Two of them had her arms pinned on either side, while a third stood behind her. The fourth was standing in front, facing her and talking.

"Now, Mrs. Jaeger, this would be a lot easier for both of us if you'd just tell me where your husband is. You think I _like_ being rough with a pretty dame like you?"

Carla glared at him, her hair disheveled and coming loose from its plait. "Actually, I get the impression that you like it very much."

The man's hand shot out, cracking across Carla's mouth. "You might wanna keep the wisecracks down, doll, and just answer my questions then. Where is Dr. Jaeger?"

"He left three years ago. I don't know where he is now."

"But he's still sending you money, isn't he? He's gotta be somewhere. So, where is it? St. Louis? New York? Toronto? Or did he go back to Munich, huh? Maybe he's taking some other pretty Fräulein to that little café on Odeonsplatz?" The man smirked. "What, you think we don't know everything about Grisha Jaeger? The boss wants him real bad. He cost us a lot of money when he stole all those goods."

"When he helped those women and little girls get away, you mean."

The man shrugged. "Speaking of which, though, how's that little Oriental girl you took in, Mrs. Jaeger? She was worth quite a bit then, but maybe your husband did us a favor. She's, what, thirteen now? Just on the edge of being a woman - unspoiled - lotsa fellas would pay big money for that. Even the boy could probably fetch a pretty penny."

Carla started to struggle against the men holding her. "You'll touch my children over my dead body, you pig!"

" _That can be arranged_!" the man roared right over the top of her. "Unless you finally care to tell me where Grisha is?"

"I don't know!" Carla's eyes fixed on the man in front of her, blazing with fury. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell _you_."

"Then you're less than useless to me. Smiles." The man snapped his fingers and walked off to the side. One of the others, the one standing behind Carla, whose face was disfigured by hideous scars that ran from the corners of his lips to his ears, raised a gun to the back of Carla's head.

There was a loud _BANG_ and Eren froze, too shocked even to scream, as the parlor was splattered with a spray of red. A second later, the two men holding up Carla's lifeless body dropped her to the floor. The man who'd been doing all the talking wiped off a stray bit of blood from his face and turned to the others. "Search the study. Jaeger might have been sending correspondence to his family that'll tell us where he is. And grab those kids; the boss'll appreciate a gift, I think."

The one he'd called Smiles spoke up, "And maybe there'll be letters from Dr. Jaeger, too."

The leader rolled his eyes and smacked Smiles in the head. "Schmuck." He looked around. "Well, don't just stand there. Move it!"

As the men turned and left the room, Eren could finally feel the scream, building up from his toes. He opened his mouth, but before any sound could escape, a hand clapped over it, and someone much larger and stronger than him started to drag him away.

"Eren." Hannes hissed into his ear. "We have to go, son. We have to get out of here before they realize you're not there."

They were in the trees now, and Eren twisted his face away from Hannes's grip. "But, Ma! She...she's..." He choked on his own words, as thick as bile in his throat.

"I _know_ , Eren." The older man's voice sounded sad and tired. "But she was trying to give you kids time to get out. Don't throw her sacrifice away."

Eren stopped struggling against him then, and let himself be led to Hannes's car and trundled into the back seat with Mikasa, who threw her arms around him as he shook against her shoulder, tears that were half out of grief and half out of sheer rage soaking into her housecoat.

Hannes slid behind the wheel and slowly drove off, not turning on the headlights until they were well out of the neighborhood. Eren only knew they were heading north because of occasional glimpses of Lake Michigan off to the right. At one point, they crossed a bridge.

A short time after that, Hannes pulled up in front of a huge house that faced the lake. He coaxed the children out of the car, and they were met at the door by a tall blond man who immediately gripped Hannes's hand. "I sent Mike and Levi out as soon as you called. Levi will try to track down the men, and Mike will bring the children's things here. Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine, Erwin, but the kids..." Hannes put his hands on Eren's and Mikasa's shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Erwin nodded and looked over his shoulder. "Petra." A young woman with strawberry-blond hair and a kind face stepped forward. "Take the children upstairs and get them settled into their rooms for the night. Hannes and I have business to discuss."

"Yes, Mr. Smith."

**~~~~~**

**~ Chicago - Gold Coast ~**

Eren couldn't sleep.

Even after Mikasa had crept out of the room Miss Petra had assigned to her and crawled into bed with Eren, even after she'd long since silenced her hiccuping tears and drifted off, Eren laid wide awake and stared up in the darkness at the unfamiliar canopy of the unfamiliar bed. Eventually he got up, being careful not to wake Mikasa, and padded downstairs, hoping to find the kitchen somewhere in this enormous place and get a glass of water.

He didn't get very far on the ground floor, however, before he noticed a door standing ajar and light and voices filtering from the opening. Holding his breath, Eren slinked forward and peered through the opening to see a flight of stairs, leading down to a landing and then turning to the right. Eren carefully pushed the door open further and slowly walked down them, until he could peer around the corner of the wall into the basement.

There were three men there. One was tied to a chair, and Eren realized with a start as he saw the distinctive facial scars that it was the same man that had killed his mother. Standing behind him and holding a gun to the base of his skull was a man Eren had never seen before. He was young, dressed in an impeccable suit, and had smooth black hair slicked neatly back over an undercut.

The third man was Mr. Smith, and he was currently asking questions.

"And what do the Titans want with Dr. Jaeger?"

"I don't know! I was just told the boss wants to find him. I was just following my orders!"

"And those orders were to kill his wife? Kidnap his children? Why?" The man standing behind Smiles pressed his gun forward and cocked the hammer as Erwin continued the interrogation.

"I told you, I was just following orders! I don't know nothing!"

"Pity." Erwin walked away from him and nodded at the other man, who'd kept silent through the exchange. "Levi."

Eren watched a spray of bone and blood erupt for the second time that night, only this time it was accompanied by a sick sense of satisfaction in his gut. He was still staring when the black-haired man pulled out a handkerchief and started wiping off the muzzle of his gun. Then the man looked up, and Eren's eyes met directly with silvery-blue ones. He sucked in a breath and spun around, racing back to his room as quietly as he could.

**~~~~~**

"The kid was watching, Erwin."

Erwin frowned, looking up the basement stairs where Eren had fled. "I know." He looked back down at the body slumped in the chair. "Maybe it was something he needed to see, though."

Levi grunted, and scowled at the blood pooling on the floor. "Fucking mess."

"Nifa and Oluo will get it cleaned up."

"That's not what I was talking about, blondie. I got a bad feeling about this whole situation, and I'm afraid it'll get worse before it gets better."

"I'm afraid you might be right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be using the end notes of each chapter to add relevant photographs, articles, maps, and whatever else I can get my grubby little hands on.
> 
> Articles:  
> [Jackson Park Highlands](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Park_Highlands_District)  
> [South Shore](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1176.html)  
> [Gold Coast](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/524.html)  
> [Near North Side](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/876.html)
> 
> Photos & Maps:  
> [Aerial photograph of Jackson Park](https://chuckmanchicagonostalgia.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/photo-chicago-jackson-park-lakefront-aerial-looking-north-fine-arts-from-1893-center-bottom-later-museum-science-and-industry-1928.jpg)  
> [General map of Chicago, c.1904](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/10630.html)


	2. Babysitter

**~ July 1921 ~**

**~ Chicago - Gold Coast ~**

It was late the next morning when Miss Petra woke them both up, seemingly unsurprised to find Mikasa in Eren's room. Sometime during the night, their belongings had arrived from the Jackson Park Highlands house. Later, after Petra had seen to it they were both dressed and fed, the maid had led them down to an elegantly appointed parlor. They waited just outside the door, while Mr. Smith could be heard talking to someone inside.

"I don't know if they'll try to move further on Dr. Jaeger's children. I'll assign a guard to them, of course, but you might want to send an alert out to your own men."

There was a snort, and then a voice with a faint Irish brogue answered him. "Don't know what Torrio's thinking, letting those thugs muscle that far into his territory. It was a good thing the doctor did, and it's a shame his family is paying for it. We'll keep an eye out, Smith; I'm not going to let that kind of business happen on my turf."

"Much appreciated, Mr. O'Banion. Now then, as for our next shipment, I'll have Mike work out the details with Mr. Weiss. Payment on the usual terms?"

"Sounds good. Always a pleasure doing business with you."

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you. Shall I have Petra show you to your car?"

"Nah, I think I can find my own way out."

The parlor door opened, and Eren watched as a dark-haired man with a limp walked out, pausing to tip his hat at Petra. Once he was gone, she knocked lightly on the door. "Mr. Smith? I brought Eren and Mikasa."

"Send them in."

Petra ushered the children into the room and gave them an encouraging smile before she shut the door behind them. Eren stood uncertainly near the entrance while Mikasa pressed close to him, subtly placing herself between him and the other two occupants of the room.

Erwin Smith was seated casually in a large, straight-backed armchair, his legs crossed and his demeanor calm. He smiled at them, seeming to ignore the wary stare Mikasa was giving him. "Please, have a seat." Erwin gestured at the divan placed opposite his chair.

Eren sat down, Mikasa sitting right beside him. He glanced from Erwin to the tall man standing silently at attention just behind his chair. Eren couldn't remember seeing him the night before; like Erwin, he was blond, but his hair was sandy rather than golden, and he had a light beard.

Erwin seemed to notice Eren's attention wandering. "This is my aide, Mike." The tall man nodded his head. "And you probably heard my name last night from Hannes and Petra, but I'm Erwin Smith. Your father had me named your godfather three years ago, after we met in England during the war. Dr. Jaeger saved my life, or, at the least, the use of my arm." At this, Erwin rolled his right shoulder, and his smile turned briefly rueful before disappearing altogether. "As I am your godfather, that means that the two of you will be living here now. I know you're both likely still shaken by what happened, and I want you to know that if there's anything you want to talk about, you can always come to Miss Petra, Mike, or myself. There's also-"

Erwin abruptly stopped talking as the dark-haired man that Eren had seen in the basement the night before entered the room. "Sorry I'm late."

Erwin shook his head. "Not at all. Your timing couldn't be better, actually." He turned back to the children. "This is Levi Ackerman, an...employee of mine, of sorts. Mikasa, Levi is actually one of your father's relatives."

"Distant relative," Levi cut in.

Erwin ignored him. "For your safety, Levi is going to be watching over you for the next few weeks, especially if you need to leave the property."

"Oi, blondie." Levi frowned at Erwin. "Woulda been nice if you'd given me some warning that I was going to be a glorified babysitter. I got other jobs to do, you know." Eren noticed that Levi's voice was deep, and he spoke a little more quickly than Eren was used to hearing. There was also an odd inflection to his vowels and a tendency to drop his "r"s.

"It's only during the day, Levi. Unless you know someone else in my employ more suited to protect them?"

Levi stared silently at Erwin before shaking his head and turning away, muttering angrily under his breath in something that sounded  _almost_ like German, but not enough for Eren to understand what he was saying.

Erwin smiled. "Well, that's settled, then. Now, do you have any questions?"

Eren chewed on his lip. Everything had happened so quickly that he still felt unbalanced by it all. Finally, he blurted out the first thing that sprang to mind. "What's going to happen to our house?"

"I'll hold it in trust for you. Someone will stop by regularly to keep an eye on it and clean, and when you're both of age, you can decide if you'd like to keep it or sell it. In the meantime, I'll have someone retrieve the rest of your personal belongings; we mostly just took clothes last night. If you'd like to go along to choose what you'd like brought here, you can."

Mikasa shook her head and said in a quiet voice, "I don't want to go back." Eren reached out and took her hand, and Erwin's expression softened.

"That's understandable. If you think of anything in particular that you want, you can just write it down and give the list to Mike; he'll make sure to bring it back."

Mikasa nodded, and an awkward silence settled over the room as Erwin, seemingly at a loss for what else to say, shifted his gaze between Eren and Mikasa. Next to him, Mike looked over at the clock and then leaned over to whisper something to Erwin.

"Ah, that time already?" Erwin stood. "Unfortunately, I have some business to attend to. Eren, Mikasa, feel free to explore as much as you like. This is your home now, and I want you to treat it as such. If there's anywhere in the house you're not supposed to go, I'm sure Levi will inform you." He hesitated in front of them before briefly laying a large hand on each of their heads, and then he was gone, Mike following behind him like a shadow.

Levi stared at the door after he left. "Damn it, Erwin. You can't treat everything like a meeting." He sighed and turned to Eren and Mikasa. "C'mon, kids. You can't sit in here all day, and I need a smoke." Levi curled his lip as he looked around the room filled with frill-covered, spindly-legged furniture. "Preferably somewhere that doesn't make me feel like I'm stuck inside my gran's dollhouse."

**~~~~~**

Levi took a long drag on his cigarette, feeling the smoke burn its way down his throat before filling his lungs. The kids had found their way to the large fish pond in the back corner of the extensive grounds surrounding Erwin's mansion, and they were currently sitting on the shore and trailing their fingers in the water while they talked with their heads bent together. Levi swept his gaze across the lawn, but everything was quiet, save for the distant sound of gulls squabbling somewhere along the lake.

He leaned back into the bench and pulled his hat down further over his face to shade it from the sun. He'd taken his suit jacket off almost immediately, and he was contemplating on doing the same with his tie when he became aware of the sensation of eyes watching him.

Levi looked up to see the boy, Eren, standing a few feet away, his bright green eyes fixed on Levi's face. There was a smudge of dirt down the side of one round cheek, and Levi's fingers twitched as he fought off the urge to grab his handkerchief and scrub it away. Instead, he took another pull on his cigarette, a cloud of smoke billowing out as he asked, "Whaddya want, kid?"

"You talk funny."

Levi narrowed his eyes. "Well, you look funny, so I guess we're even."

Levi watched in some amusement as Eren's eyebrows drew together in an angry scowl before he shook his head. "No, I mean, you don't sound like you're from Chicago."

"Got it in one."

Eren stared at him a bit longer, but when Levi didn't volunteer any other information, he asked, "Where are you from?"

"Lower East Side." At Eren's uncomprehending look, Levi elaborated, "Manhattan." Still a blank stare. "New York City. Christ, kid, what do they  _teach_ you in school?"

Eren just shrugged. "Why'd you come here?"

"Family problems."

"How'd you end up working for Mr. Smith?"

"He offered me a job. We done with the Twenty Questions yet?"

"One more." Eren glanced down at the gravel path under his shoes before raising his head back up and looking Levi dead in the eye. "Who are the Titans?"

Levi contemplated Eren for a moment as he finished his cigarette. He took his pocket ashtray out of his jacket and ground the butt out inside before snapping the lid closed and leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, never once breaking Eren's steady gaze. "They're a gang, but not like the North Siders or even those pimp scum in the Chicago Outfit. Nothing and no one's off-limits to them, and they don't give a damn how many innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire. And kids shouldn't be eavesdropping in on adult business."

"I'm not a kid!" Eren's hands curled into fists at his sides, and he glared at Levi.

"Says the guy wearing knee-britches."

"I'm not! I'm twelve!"

"Sorry. My mistake." Levi straightened up. "Why so interested in the Titans, anyway?"

"Because." Levi watched as Eren's face grew cold and hard, and an almost manic light gleamed in his eyes. "I'm going to kill them. Every last one."

Levi felt a chill go down his spine as the determined words left Eren's lips, and, for a moment, he almost believed that Eren would do exactly as he said. Outwardly, however, he let the corner of his lip twitch up into a smirk and reached out to ruffle Eren's already messy hair. "Whatever you say, kid."

Eren shook Levi's hand off and shot him a look of pure disgruntlement before huffing and walking back to sit next to his adopted sister again.

Levi leaned back against the bench with a chuckle as he watched him storm off. "Not bad," he said quietly to himself.

Erwin was going to have his hands full with this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Photos & Maps:  
> [1920s children's clothing photo](http://i.imgur.com/nrbI6Ux.jpg)  
> [Map of Organized Crime in Prohibition Era Chicago](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1768.html)


	3. A Friend

**~ September 1921 ~**

**~ Chicago - Gold Coast ~**

Dinner at the Smith mansion was normally a quiet affair. On most nights, when Erwin wasn't entertaining, Mike and Levi would usually eat with the three of them, as they were doing that night. Dessert had just arrived, in the form of apple tarts with delicately flaky crusts, when Erwin broke the silence and addressed Eren and Mikasa. "You should make sure you go to bed early tonight. School starts tomorrow, after all."

Eren's grip tightened on his fork before he set it down. Whatever appetite he had was gone as a knot of frustration boiled in his stomach. "I don't see why we should have to change schools."

Erwin set his own fork down and wiped the corner of his mouth on his napkin. "I explained this already, Eren. The school you were attending is too far away. Sina is a very good school. You'll see-"

"I don't  _want_ to see!" Eren interrupted, the frustration bubbling over into anger. "I want to go to  _my_ school!"

"Eren!" Mikasa hissed his name as her foot connected with his ankle under the table.

He ignored her and glared at Erwin. "Stop trying to act like you're my father!" Eren pushed away from the table, hard enough that his chair clattered to the floor behind him, and ran from the room.

He pelted up the stairs, running past Petra and ignoring the query she sent after him. He didn't stop until he had reached his own room and slammed the door behind him. Eren leaned back against the door, waiting for his breathing to calm down. He scrubbed at the hot tears rolling down his face. He wasn't even sure why he'd gotten so angry at Erwin, he just  _was_.

Eren pushed himself away from the door and picked up the ornately carved wooden music box from the top of the dresser, carrying it over to the bed. It had been his mother's; he'd asked Mike for it when the man had gone back to get the rest of their things. Carla had brought the music box with her all the way from Germany. She'd loved it, and she'd often played it for Eren when he was sick or upset or when he'd woken up from a nightmare. Ever since Mike had given it to him, Eren had taken to wearing the ornamented key to it around his neck, under his clothes.

He set the music box on the center of the bed and unlocked it. Once it was open, he turned the crank and pulled his knees up to his chest as the familiar tune began to [play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1EjzJT1OOM). Half-way through the song, Mikasa slipped into his room and wordlessly curled up next to him on the bed, leaning her head against his shoulder. When the song played out, she wound it up again.

The song had just started for a third time when a soft knock sounded on the door, followed shortly by Erwin opening it and peeking into the bedroom. "May I come in?"

Eren nodded, and Erwin walked in and sat on the edge of the bed. He didn't say anything, simply sitting there in the dark with them.

"I want to go home." Eren's voice was soft, all the anger having drained out of him and left him feeling empty inside. "Everything's changing, and I just want it to go back the way it was." The last note played again, and Eren's voice sounded clear and miserable in the resulting silence. "I miss Mom."

"I know." Erwin seemed to hesitate, and then he placed a hand on Eren's head, smoothing out his hair. "I'm sorry, Eren." His hand moved down, briefly gripping Eren's shoulder before he stood up and started to leave. At the door, He turned back to look at them. "Try to get some sleep." And then he was gone. A brief murmur of voices could be heard in the hallway, accompanying the sound of footsteps drawing away.

**~~~~~**

****~ Chicago - Near North Side ~** **

The next morning was carefully controlled chaos. Besides trying to get the children ready for school, Erwin had a shareholder's meeting to attend at his company, Survey Corporation. The result was a flurry of servants running every which way while Levi carefully dodged them. Finally, he got the kids hustled out the door and called out over his shoulder as Erwin simultaneously tried to gulp down a cup of coffee and get his necktie on straight, "Oi, Erwin! I'm taking the Cadillac!"

"Why am I not surprised..." Erwin muttered and set down the coffee cup while Mike fixed the mess he'd made of the tie. "It's fine. I'll be taking the Rolls, anyway."

Levi waved his hand in acknowledgement and stepped outside. Erwin's chauffeur had already pulled Levi's preferred car up front, and he motioned for Eren and Mikasa to get in the back. The ride to the school was silent. Mikasa was always quiet, of course, but Eren was quite obviously still sulking. As he pulled onto Dearborn Avenue, Levi drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and then sighed. "You know," he began, "Erwin is just trying to keep you safe."

The only response he got from Eren was a short, "Hmph."

"Look, if the Titans still want revenge against your dad for busting up their little kidnapping party, then they might go after you next. At least if you're here, it's easier for Erwin to have his own men keep an eye on the place." Levi pulled up against the sidewalk fronting a large, five-story brick building and turned around to face the back seat. "And besides, if you think I'm driving you fifteen miles to school every day, you're off your nuts." Eren blinked at him, before nodding and looking down at his lap. Levi got out, and held open the back door for them. "Boy's school is there." He motioned at the building next to them, which had a sign hung over the door declaring it the "Chicago Sina School." Then Levi pointed at the smaller building next to it. "And that's the girl's school." A similar sign reading "Chicago Sina School for Girls" graced its doorway. Both of them hesitated, looking up at Levi, and he sighed. He'd been doing that a lot lately. "I'll be back to pick you up in the afternoon. Go on, amscray."

Reluctantly, they parted from him and each other, Mikasa walking calmly for the girls' building while Eren trudged to his own school like a man on his way to execution. Levi waited until they were safely inside, but he didn't go far. He stopped just down the road at a little coffeehouse, securing a table next to the window where he could see the street. A little while later, he watched a brunet man wander seemingly aimlessly down the sidewalk, stopping just in front of the school to pull out his watch and frown at the display before continuing on. Just after that, a blond man in a delivery truck rattled down the road. After seeing them, Levi finally relaxed a little, knowing that Eld and Gunther were in place.

They hadn't told the kids, but they'd caught three different members of the Titans sniffing around in the area since the incident. That didn't even count however many O'Banion's North Side Gang had managed to drive off. It had been quiet lately, but that didn't mean they'd lost interest; it could have just meant that they were lying low, waiting for an opportune time to strike - such as when Eren and Mikasa were off of Erwin's property and ostensibly out of his reach, say while attending school.

So, Levi and his men kept watch. None of them stayed in the same place for long, but there wasn't a moment when at least one pair of eyes wasn't on the entrance of the school. At three o'clock, Levi made his last trip, this time parking next to the building instead of driving past. As he did, he saw Mikasa bolting past him on the sidewalk, heading for an alley up ahead. Levi quickly got out to try to stop her, but he froze as the sound of shouting reached him. Levi swore and took off after the girl, feeling under his jacket for his gun as he ran, although he didn't dare take it out.

Not yet, anyway.

Levi whipped around the corner of the building just in time to see a group of boys bolt out, all of them about thirteen or fourteen years old. Two of them were hauling a half-conscious third between them.

"Yeah, you better run! You- Ouch! What'd you hit me for, Mika?" Eren stopped crowing after the departing boys to frown at his sister, rubbing at the back of his head where she'd thumped him. Levi was unsurprised to see Eren sporting a rapidly bruising cheek and a split lip. He wasn't happy about it, but he wasn't surprised, either.

Mikasa glared. "I told you to stop picking fights, Eren!"

"They started it!"

"Making a great impression on your first day, I see." Eren gaped up at him, just now noticing that he was there as Levi's dry voice clipped out the words.

He quickly recovered. "It wasn't my fault! They were ganging up on Armin!"

That was when Levi finally saw the blond boy standing behind the other two. "Arlert."

Armin smiled up at him. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Ackerman."

**~~~~~**

****~ Chicago - Towertown ~** **

In the end, Levi had told all three of them to get in the car, saying he'd drop Armin off at his grandfather's home along the way. Armin had protested at first, saying he could just take the streetcar as usual, but Levi silenced him with a single look.

Eren took advantage of the time during the ride to quiz his new classmate.

"You live with your grandfather?"

Armin nodded. "Yes. My father is an archaeologist, and after the war he went to Egypt to assist one of his colleagues there. Since I'm older now, my mother decided to go with him." Armin chuckled. "I'm actually not sure if Grandpa's supposed to be looking after me or if I'm supposed to look after him, though."

"And how do you and Levi know each other, anyway?"

"Oh..." Armin's eyes drifted to the back of Levi's head. "Well, my grandfather runs an antiquities shop, and Mr. Smith's father helped him get back on his feet and reopen after the Fire destroyed everything. So now Grandpa lets Mr. Smith use the basement."

Mikasa tilted her head, puzzled. "Why would Mr. Smith need to use your grandfather's basement?"

"Oh, um..." Armin glanced at Levi again. "Well, the storage under the building is actually quite extensive, and we're not very far from Survey Corporation's offices, so maybe it's just more convenient?"

"Yeah, that's probably it," Eren quickly agreed, looking over at Levi himself. He seemed to be completely ignoring the chattering going on in the back seat. Still, recalling what he'd seen his first night at the mansion, Eren decided it was probably best to stop talking about basements and what Mr. Smith might or might not be using them for. "So, you said your parents are in Egypt now?"

"Oh, yes! In fact, I just got a letter from my mother last week, from Cairo..." Eren listened to Armin enthusiastically describe the things his parents had seen in Egypt as Levi drove them past the Water Tower and onto one of the side streets. Shortly after, Levi pulled up next to a storefront, the lettering in the window spelling out "Arlert's Antiques and Curiosities"

"Oh, we're here already." Armin opened the car door and then turned back to Eren and Mikasa. "It was really nice meeting you both. I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?" When they both nodded and mumbled an affirmative, Armin smiled and slid out of the car before addressing Levi. "Thank you for the ride, Mr. Ackerman."

"Any time, kid." Levi waited until Armin had disappeared inside the shop before pulling away and heading back north.

**~~~~~**

****~ Chicago - Gold Coast ~** **

That night at dinner, Eren was in a much better mood than he'd been in...a long time. Erwin seemed to notice, asking him how his day went.

"It was okay." Eren paused as he was cutting up the roast on his plate. "I made a friend."

Erwin smiled. "That's wonderful news. What's his name?"

"Armin."

"Ah." Erwin blinked and looked over at Levi questioningly.

"Yeah, it's the Arlert kid."

"Oh. I knew he attended Sina, but I didn't realize he'd be in Eren's class. Isn't he a year younger than you, Eren?"

Eren shrugged. "He said the headmistress placed him ahead because he was bored."

"Yes, that makes sense." Erwin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He always was a bright boy."

"Bit too bright sometimes, if you ask me."

"Now, Levi, there's no such thing, not as long as you have common sense as well."

Eren watched the exchange between the two men, puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, not at all." Erwin smiled at him. "In fact, why don't you invite Armin over to lunch Saturday? There's something that I think I need to tell you and Mikasa if you're going to be living here."

Levi snorted. "Before Arlert opens that smart mouth of his and lets something slip he shouldn't, you mean."

"Precisely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shamelessly based Eren's school off of the Latin School of Chicago, although I moved it to its Dearborn location a few years early. I also couldn't find any information on where the girls' school was located before they integrated, so I placed it next door for my own convenience. In the photograph, the school is the large, darker colored building with the iron fence, directly behind the car in the foreground.
> 
> The fire Armin is referring to is the Chicago Fire of 1871.
> 
> Articles of interest:  
> [Latin School of Chicago](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_School_of_Chicago)  
> [Fire of 1871](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1740.html)  
> [Street Railways](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1207.html)  
> [Towertown](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1265.html)  
> [Chicago Water Tower](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Water_Tower)
> 
> Photographs:  
> [1921 Cadillac Type 59, photo #1](http://i.imgur.com/phlWsgm.jpg)  
> [1921 Cadillac Type 59, photo #2](http://i.imgur.com/vUSQCRh.jpg)  
> [1920 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, limousine style](http://i.imgur.com/RQTqh2Y.jpg)  
> [Latin School of Chicago, c. 1920s](http://i.imgur.com/sJ307yp.jpg)  
> [Chicago Water Tower, c. 1920s](http://i.imgur.com/xbsgpA9.jpg)  
> [Corner of State and Madison after the 1871 Fire](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/6338.html)


	4. Rogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's getting into his teen years now, and we're moving further into the decade, so the [slang dictionary](http://home.earthlink.net/~dlarkins/slang-pg.htm) might start to come in handy.

**~ May 1924 ~**

**~ Chicago - Towertown ~**

Eren pushed open the back door of Arlert's Antiques and turned right down the narrow hallway before opening the second door on the left. He clattered down the stairs, his schoolbooks thumping heavily against his back. Once he reached the basement, he stopped in front of a heavy steel door that had a small design of an overlapping pair of wings etched into the metal of the frame. Eren reached out and knocked a quick and precise rhythm against the door, impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for it to open.

Armin had been right about the basement under his grandfather's building being extensive. It extend not only under the antique shop, but under the neighboring building as well - also owned by Armin's grandfather, and currently being rented to a clockmaker. The back half of the clockmaker's building also housed an off-street garage, inside of which was a very well-hidden cellar door and secondary access to the basement.

In short, the perfect location to hide a speakeasy.

Eren looked up at the sound of metal scraping against metal as a small plate in the door was slid back and then closed again. Slowly, the door started to swing open, and Eren slipped through as soon as the gap was big enough.

"Hey, Eren!" The instant he was inside the door, a short, red-headed woman latched onto his arm, nearly making him drop his book strap.

"Hey, Isabel." Eren squeezed her arm back before disentangling himself and hopping up on one of the stools fronting the long bar that ran against one wall of the room. The rest of the room was filled with tables and chairs, except for an area of cleared dance floor in front of a small stage at the far end. A door opposite the bar opened to a smaller room lined with arrangements of couches and cozy chairs that nearly everyone called "the Parlor." Both rooms were floored in a dark hardwood that was polished until it glowed, and the brickwork of the walls had been covered with plaster, painted a dark blue on the lower three feet while the rest of it was pristine white. The electric lights around both rooms were ensconced in fixtures of mirrors and polished brass, to amplify the light and make up for the fact that there were no windows anywhere.

Eren stretched and then looked up at Isabel, who had ignored the stools in favor of hopping up to sit on the bar countertop itself, her legs swinging absently back and forth. It briefly occurred to Eren that it was a good thing she was wearing breeches today, but he had a feeling she wouldn't have done any differently even if she'd been in a skirt. "So, what're you doing here, Isa?"

"Farlan and big brother are bringing up the stock for tonight, and I'm helping."

"Is that what you call it?" Farlan had just entered through one of the doors flanking the stage, Levi right behind. Farlan heaved the crate he was carrying onto the bar, while Levi carried his behind it and started putting the bottles away.

Isabel stuck her tongue out at Farlan. "Hey, I'm watching the door for ya, ain't I? That's helping!"

Farlan rolled his eyes, but Levi reached out and ruffled Isabel's hair. "Sure it is, kiddo. Now get your ass off the bar; I just cleaned it."

"Like you're not gonna clean it again," Isabel grumbled but complied, climbing down to sit on the stool next to Eren.

Eren hid a smile behind his hand as he watched them interact. He didn't know much about their past together, just that Isabel and Farlan had come west with Levi when he left New York. He did know that Levi treated them more like family than friends, and he always seemed more relaxed around the other two. It was nice, he realized, to see a part of Levi that he didn't normally show to anyone else.

Before Eren could contemplate the odd warm feeling  _that_ thought caused in his chest, he was broken out of his thoughts by a finger thumping against his forehead. "Ow!" He rubbed at the spot between his eyebrows and frowned at Levi. "What did you do that for?"

"I thought I told you not to come down here."

"But Freedom's Wings isn't even  _open_ yet!" Eren protested. "And you let Isabel come in!"

"Isabel," Levi said as he set up four glasses on the bar, "is three years older than you,  _and_ she knows how to take care of herself." Levi pulled out a bottle from the bar, and a different bottle from the small icebox. 

Eren pouted, and Isabel giggled and elbowed him in the ribs. "Aw, sorry, Eren. I can't help it if I'm a mature, responsible, beautiful wo-hey!" Isabel glared at the glass Levi had set in front of her, filled with a white, opaque liquid and identical to the one he'd set in front of Eren. "Why'd you give me milk like the brat?"

Levi took a sip of his own drink, which was decidedly  _not_ milk. "Hm, I wonder..."

Isabel frowned again, and then quickly switched glasses with Farlan, downing his drink before he could get out more than a startled, "Hey!"

Levi ignored the two as they started to squabble and turned to Eren. "Where's Mikasa?"

"She's upstairs with Armin. Year-end exams are next week, so we're gonna study for them." Noticing the pointed glance Levi shot at his milk, Eren quickly picked it up and drained half of it before continuing. "I wanted to ask you if you could give us a ride home when we're done."

"Hm..." Levi rubbed his chin as he thought. "Everyone's kinda busy tonight, kid." He sighed. "Well, I'll call Mike later if it looks like I can't. Now finish that and get back upstairs."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going."

**~~~~~**

Armin generally watched the shop in the evenings, so the three of them were clustered on tall stools around the counter, going over their notes. It was getting late; Armin had locked up about an hour ago, but none of them had wanted to go through the trouble of moving all their things upstairs.

Eren was just about to head over to the garage to see if someone could take Mikasa and him home, when a quick, almost frantic sounding knocking echoed from the front door.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Armin sighed. He got up and went to the front door. He unlocked everything except the night-chain and cracked the door open. "We're closed. Go-!" Armin bit off his words in a gasp and hastily closed the door so he could unhook the chain. He got it open again, and Eren and Mikasa made it over just in time to help catch Eld before he collapsed to the floor. Eren felt something warm and wet under his hand as he pressed against Eld's chest to steady him.

Mikasa looked at Armin as she looped one of the tall man's arms around her shoulders. "Go get Hanji; they should be in the garage. We'll get him upstairs." Armin nodded and ran off, and Eren and Mikasa managed to get Eld up and into the apartment above the shop, laying him down as gently as they could onto the living room couch. Mr. Arlert had stuck his head out at the noise of them coming in the door, and had emerged from his room clad in a dressing gown with an armful of bandages.

As Hanji ran through the door, followed closely by Armin, Eld reached up and grabbed Eren's sleeve. "Get Levi... Tell him Gunther..." Eld stopped talking as a wet cough wracked his body. "...Gunther's still pinned down."

Eren's eyes went wide, and he nodded, tearing out of the room and down both flights of stairs to the basement. The plate in the door slid to the side as he knocked.

"Eren? You're not supposed to be here."

"Reiner! Is Levi there? It's an emergency!"

"Levi...? I saw him by the bar a little bit ago..." Eren could hear the hesitation in the big blond's voice, and then a heavy sigh. The door creaked open, and Reiner waved him through. "C'mon, hurry up. Go ask Bert where he went; I can't leave the door."

"Thanks." Eren made a beeline for the bar and the tall bartender standing behind it. Ordinarily, he would have been gaping at the crowd milling around the room he was used to seeing empty, but at the moment he was too worried to focus on anything except finding Levi. He waved at the dark-haired young man to get his attention. "Bertholt!"

His eyes widened. "Eren? You're not-"

"Supposed to be here, I know. Just tell me where Levi is."

"He's in the back room. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," was all Eren answered before he was off again, pushing his way through the men and women standing around the bar. He'd only gotten about halfway to the door next to the stage when his path was blocked by an older man in a somewhat rumpled suit whose breath reeked of cheap gin.

"Hey, there, beautiful. I don't think I've seen you in here before."

Eren tried to ease past him. "Just passing through. Excuse me."

"What's the rush?" The man's hand clamped around Eren's arm, holding him in place.

Eren tried to pull away, but his grip was stronger than it looked. "Let go!"

"Don't be like that. C'mon, gorgeous, cash or check?"

A broad back imposed itself between Eren and the man leaning toward him, and a low voice growled out, "Bank's closed."

The hand holding Eren let go of him. "Oh, Mr. Ackerman. I didn't realize you had a claim on him-Hgrk!"

Levi had fisted both his hands in his shirt and lifted the much larger man off the ground. "Are you off your nuts, Fleischer, or are you just so blotto you can't tell he's a  _kid_?" Levi made a noise of disgust in the back of his throat and dropped the man heavily to his feet. "That's Erwin's  _son_ , you idiot."

"Mr. Smith's... Oh.  _Oh_. Terribly sorry, I-I should be going now." Eren watched, bemused, as the man's flushed face went sickly pale, just before he turned and practically ran in his haste to get away.

Levi whirled and grabbed Eren by the back of his shirt, dragging him after him and through the door into the storeroom. He shut the door behind them and let go of Eren to glare up at him. "What did we just talk about today, Eren? What are you doing here?"

"There's a problem." Eren raised his hands in supplication, and he saw the way Levi's eyes darted over to the palm of his left hand and widened in alarm at the sight of the blood covering it. Eren hastily explained, "It's not mine. Eld's upstairs, and he's hurt bad. Hanji's with him. He told me to tell you that Gunther's still pinned down."

"Shit." Levi headed through the door at the back of the storeroom and up the concrete steps to the garage, Eren hot on his heels. Levi turned to glare over his shoulder as Eren shut the cellar door behind them. "Eren. Go back to Arlert's. This is too dangerous for you to tag along."

Eren ran to catch up to him, sliding into the passenger side of Levi's Studebaker before Levi had a chance to start the car and take off. Levi glared at him, but Eren crossed his arms and glared back, his jaw setting in a stubborn line. "If it's too dangerous for me to come, than it's too dangerous for you to go  _alone_."

"This isn't a game, kid."

"I  _know_ that, Levi. But what if Gunther's hurt? You can't take care of him and drive the car."

"Do you even know how to drive?"

"Mike's been teaching me."

Levi sighed, then shifted the car into gear. "Fine, I don't have time to argue with you. But you're staying in the car, you got it?"

"Ab-so-lute-ly."

"Shut up."

**~~~~~**

**~ Chicago - Little Sicily ~**

After a short ride west across the river, Levi soon pulled into the yard of an old factory along the bank, hiding his car from view of the road behind a crumbling pile of debris. Eren stared up at the building, some of the bricks showing black scorch marks, but otherwise mostly intact and seemingly abandoned. "What were Gunther and Eld even doing here?"

Levi pulled his gun out from under his suit and checked the bullets before slipping it back into his holster. "O'Banion's been getting some trouble from some Sicilians, the Gennas brothers, and now they're claiming O'Banion is hijacking their shipments. O'Banion told Erwin it's not him, and Erwin decided to look into it. We tracked one of the missing shipments here, and Gunther and Eld were supposed to wait here to see who shows up for it. They must have been found out." Levi got out of the car and walked around to lean in Eren's window. "Stay here, and stay hidden. If you see Gunther or me running for the car, get ready to drive outta here in a hurry. If you get in trouble, then just go. Don't worry about us; we'll find another way back."

Eren swallowed heavily and nodded. "Got it."

Levi gave him one last hard look. "I mean it kid; don't come in after us, no matter what happens." And then he was gone, slipping through the shadows and into the building.

Eren wasn't sure how long he waited, slouched down in the seat to hide his silhouette while repeatedly glancing at the factory for any signs of movement. He was just starting to regret coming when he heard the low hum of a car engine nearby.

He ducked down even further. He could hear the car coming closer, gravel crunching under the tires as it turned into the factory yard. Eren couldn't see any lights, however; whoever was driving the car obviously didn't want to be noticed. It came to a stop nearby, and several doors opened and shut.

"Do you think someone's still in there, boss?"

"That big-six over there didn't drive itself." Eren froze, his fingernails digging into the seat beneath him as he fought to hold himself still instead of leaping out of Levi's car and jumping on the speaker. He _knew_ that voice. It had been three years, but he didn't think he'd ever forget it. Not after hearing it order his mother's death.

He was still speaking. "Let's go, boys. We've got a little rat hunting to do tonight." As he heard them walking away, Eren risked a peek over the edge of the car door and counted five shadows disappearing into the factory.

Eren only hesitated a moment before he reached under the seat, casting around until his fingertips hit the edge of a box. He felt along the side for the handle and pulled it out, lifting it up onto the seat. Inside, Levi had hidden away a knife and a small revolver. Eren took them, sticking the knife into his waistband, sheath and all, and left the car, following the shadowy figures into the building.

He found them a short ways inside, on the main factory floor. They were gathered around a slumped figure on the floor, and for a moment Eren felt his heart in his throat, but then the leader spat out, "Donny. Some guard." He looked up, toward the back of the building, and Eren held his breath as he heard the faint sound of echoing gunfire. "They're in the storeroom. Can't believe those damn idiots let them get that far in. Come on."

As the group moved off, Eren looked around, and then he felt his lips stretching in a grin. There was a catwalk running along the edge of the room, probably to give access to the upper parts of the machinery, and a ladder hanging down just above his head. It would give him a view of the whole room, and the equipment would give him plenty of cover.

He jumped up, grabbing the bottom rung and praying that it wouldn't give out under his weight. It held, and Eren climbed up slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. He crept after the group and crouched by one of the machines, taking careful aim with the revolver. It was a bit different than the rifle Erwin had taught him to shoot when on their hunting trips, but when he squeezed the trigger, he had the satisfaction of seeing the rearmost person in the group fall down before he ducked back into the shadows.

"What the-! Where the hell did that shot come from?!"

"Fuck! Right in the head... You three! Split up! Find that shooter!"

They scattered across the factory. Eren managed to get off two more shots, bringing one more of them down, before the leader happened to look up at the wrong time and locked eyes with him. He pulled out his own gun and fired at Eren, who scurried behind one of the machines just in time.

"He's on the catwalk! Eddie, find a way up there!"

Eren ran for the ladder, switching the gun to his left hand and pulling out the knife as he did. He reached the top of the ladder just as the three remaining gangsters reached the bottom. Eren fired his last three bullets into the men clustered below to stop them from firing up at him and jumped the ten feet to the floor. He landed right on top of the one the leader had called Eddie, and then his knife slashed out, and everything disappeared in a haze of red.

**~~~~~**

Shortly after Levi had found Gunther and the two of them had cleared out the men that had been holding Gunther at bay in a stalemate, they had heard shouting and gunshots coming from the direction of the entrance. Levi had cursed under his breath and took off, Gunther right behind him and thankfully relatively uninjured. Just before they reached the main factory, everything had gone quiet.

Deathly quiet.

They'd cautiously made their way across the open room. Levi counted three bodies along the way, and he knew he only accounted for one of them. Finally, they edged around the machinery, coming face to face with a figure illuminated by moonlight streaming in through a broken window and surrounded by three more bodies and a rapidly expanding pool of blood. The person that was still standing had his back to them, shoulders heaving up and down like a bellows.

Gunther slowly stepped forward, lowering his gun. "...Eren?"

Eren spun around at the sound of his voice, his eyes wild and a feral sounding growl rising in his throat as he tightened his grip on the gore covered knife in his hand. Gunther took an involuntary step back, and Levi stepped forward, placing himself between Eren and Gunther.

"Eren. Stop."

At the sound up his voice, Eren's posture instantly relaxed and the knife slipped from his hand to clatter to the ground. It was as if someone had flipped a switch inside the boy. He blinked at Levi, the rage that had been in his eyes earlier replaced by confusion. "L-Levi? What... What happened?"

"I think that's what I'm supposed to be asking you kid." Levi turned to Gunther. "Go get the car ready to go; we'll be right out." Gunther nodded and left, stopping only long enough to pick up the knife Eren had dropped. When he was gone, Levi stepped forward and gripped Eren's shoulders. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"N-no. I don't know." Eren shifted his weight and winced. "I, um, might have twisted my ankle when I jumped from the catwalk."

"Christ, Eren." Levi tightened his grip. "I thought I told you to stay in the car."

"You did." Eren looked down. "But then a car pulled up, and these men got out, and I  _recognized his voice_ , Levi." Eren met Levi's eyes again, his expression pleading.

"Whose voice?"

" _His_." Eren pointed a shaking finger at one of the bodies on the floor. The man's throat had been slashed so violently that his head was nearly severed from his neck. "H-he's the one. The one th-that had Mom k-killed." Eren was starting to shake under Levi's fingers, an edge of hysteria creeping into his voice.

"Shh." Levi brushed Eren's hair back from his face. "It's over now. Come on, let's go home."

Eren nodded, and Levi moved under Eren's arm and slung it across his shoulders, supporting the younger man as they left the building and walked back to Levi's car. Levi helped him into the back before climbing in the driver's seat next to Gunther. He sighed as he pulled out onto the street. "You just had to get taller than me, didn't you?"

Eren giggled at that. "Everyone's taller than you, Levi."

"Shut up."

Eren giggled again.

As he drove them back to the North Side, all Levi could think was that he didn't want to be the one to have to explain this incident to Erwin.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath.

All he got in reply was a sympathetic look from Gunther.

It was only sheer strength of will that stopped Levi from banging his head against the steering wheel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Articles:  
> [Genna crime family](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genna_crime_family)
> 
> Photos:  
> [1923 Studebaker Big Six](http://i.imgur.com/NxVNrFC.jpg)  
> [Map of Chicago's Gangland](http://i.imgur.com/T202u3H.jpg)  
> [1921 Colt semi-automatic pistol](http://i.imgur.com/VqajRdB.jpg) (what I imagine as Levi's gun of choice)  
> [1920s Colt .38 revolver](http://i.imgur.com/KrU2pRD.jpg)


	5. Monster

**~ May 1924 ~**

**~ Chicago - Near North Side ~**

They'd dropped Gunther off at Freedom's Wings, and then Levi had taken Eren to his apartment to get cleaned up before he took him back to Erwin's. Mikasa had already been picked up by Mike, and Hanji was with Eld at the hospital, where he was expected to make a full recovery. Eren had nearly sagged with relief at the news.

Eren limped up the stairs to Levi's third floor apartment, leaning heavily against Levi's shoulder and cursing under his breath. The adrenaline from the fight had completely worn off by now, and his ankle was throbbing with pain in time to every beat of his heart. 

Once inside, Eren didn't even wait for Levi to turn on the water heater before he was hobbling into the bathroom. The feeling of his blood-soaked clothes slowly stiffening next to his skin as they dried was disgusting, and at the moment he didn't want anything else except to feel clean again. He left his clothes in a somewhat neat pile on the floor, careful to leave the bloodied parts folded in and not touching the tile, and stepped into the shower. The water was cold at first, but Eren ignored it and set to work scrubbing himself with the bar of soap, discovering small bruises that he hadn't even noticed getting as he did.

By the time he was lathering shampoo into his hair, the water had warmed to an acceptable temperature, and Eren closed his eyes as he stuck his head under the spray, feeling his muscles unknot as he let the water wash over him. For a minute, he entertained the fantasy of just  _staying_ in there and not having to face Levi or Erwin over what had happened.

Oh, God,  _Erwin_. No matter what... _unsavory_ business their godfather had been involved in, he'd always been adamant about Eren and Mikasa having as little to do with it as possible. And now Eren hadn't just stepped into it, he'd jumped in feet first.

Literally.

"Fuck." Eren let his head thump back against the tiled wall. Just then, he heard the bathroom door open. He could vaguely see Levi's silhouette through the shower curtain as he stooped over to gather up the soiled clothes.

"There's clean clothes and a towel by the sink. Hurry up, and I'll wrap your ankle when you're done."

"Alright." Eren waited until he heard the door close, and then he turned off the water and made his way over to the sink to dry off and dress. Once he stepped out into the main room of the apartment, Levi motioned him over to the couch. Eren sat down next to him, and Levi wordlessly pulled Eren's injured left leg into his lap and began to deftly wrap a length of bandage around it. Eren looked around the room with interest; he'd only been in Levi's apartment once before, and that was when Levi had moved in a few months ago from the larger apartment he'd shared with Farlan and Isabel. There wasn't much to see - the kitchen was separated from the living room by a counter and a small dining table, and there were two doors leading out of the room, one to the bathroom and one to Levi's bedroom. Eren cleared his throat to break the silence that had settled over them. "Um, thanks for the clothes and, uh, everything."

Levi grunted in acknowledgement as he tied off the bandage and set Eren's foot down. "They fit okay?"

Eren rolled his shoulders, the fabric of the shirt tightening slightly, but not enough to be uncomfortable. "Yeah, surprisingly." He grinned at Levi. "I figured the trousers would end halfway down my calves."

"Oi, enough with the short jokes." Levi narrowed his eyes at Eren before turning away and mumbling, "They're not mine."

"Huh?"

Levi shrugged. "Farlan must have left them here, the last time he and Isabel had a fight." Levi's eyes sidled away from meeting Eren's gaze, and for an instant Eren got the impression that there was something he didn't want to tell him, but it was gone the next moment when Levi finally looked back up at him, a worry line knitting his brow. "Hey, are you alright?"

Eren tilted his head. "Except for the ankle? I'm swell. A little worried what Erwin's gonna do, but..." It was his turn to shrug. "Why?"

Levi's expression of worry shifted to one of incredulousness. "Because most people are usually shaken up the first time they kill someone, that's why."

"Oh." Eren stared down at the wooden floor. "Well, that wasn't actually the first time..."

**~~~~~**

**~ January 1918 ~**

**~ Chicago - Jackson Park Highlands ~**

It was a Friday evening, and Grisha had taken Eren outside after supper and walked him down the street, saying he wanted Eren to meet a friend of his who had just moved to Chicago from San Francisco.

"They have a daughter about your age named Mikasa," he said, pausing outside the front door of a modestly sized house on the corner. Grisha bent down to look Eren in the eye, a serious expression on his face. "She won't know anyone here, so I want you to be nice to her, alright?"

Eren sniffed and looked away. Adults were always like that - play nicely, get along, don't fight - ignoring the fact that not everyone  _deserved_ to be treated well. "I will if she's nice to me."

Grisha sighed heavily as he straightened up. "Störrisches Kind. This is why you don't have any friends." The corner of Grisha's lip twisted up into a wry smile as he lifted his hand to knock on the door.

At the first blow, the door swung open under his fist. Grisha froze, a flash of fear crossing over his face before he schooled his expression and slowly pushed the door open the rest of the way. He peered into the darkened entryway and called out, "Dr. Ackerman?"

There was no answer, and Grisha went inside, Eren close on his heels. When his father abruptly stopped walking, Eren nearly crashed into his back. Eren peered around him to see a figure slumped across the foot of the stairs, as if it was trying to block them.

"Eli..." Grisha stepped forward and knelt next to the body, ignoring the dark liquid pooling on the hardwood floor. His hand reached for the man's neck, and then he stood and peered up the staircase as he spoke. "Eren, I'm going to check upstairs. I need you to go home and wait with your mother. I'll be there soon.

"But-"

"Go!"

Eren took a few tentative steps toward the door, and his father ascended to the second story without a backwards glance. As soon as he was out of sight, Eren reversed course, moving deeper into the house.

He pushed open a door to reveal the kitchen and froze as the moonlight streaming through the window illuminated a woman lying on the floor, long black hair fanned out around her, slick and shining with something that could only be blood. Her hand was clutching a knife, and Eren bent down and pulled it away. He walked out the back door, mind working furiously.

There should still be a little girl there, but something in Eren told him that his father would not find her. The hand Eren had taken the knife from had still been warm - this couldn't have happened very long ago. Whoever had done this couldn't have gone far.

He suddenly thought of the abandoned house, just two streets over. It was set back in an odd fold of the land, separated from the neighboring houses by a stand of trees. The parents of the neighborhood expressly forbade their children from playing there, so of course everyone did. Until about two nights ago, when several of the children had seen strange lights in the windows at night, and soon the rumor was spreading that the house was haunted. Eren started running. It was a long-shot, but if his guess was right...

It was a matter of minutes before Eren was at the house. He froze by the gate as he saw a yellow light briefly appear in the window, and then he walked up the sidewalk to the front door, the knife clutched tightly behind his back. At first, all he could hear was the wind rustling the dead, dried-out grass of the overgrown lawn, but as he drew closer, male voices could be heard on the other side of a broken window.

"...cost the boss a lot of money. That's coming out of your cut, you know."

"The bitch came at me with a knife! 'Sides, she was getting a bit long in the tooth, had a kid and all. She couldn't've been worth  _that_ much."

"You idiot, it's not like it was back in Frisco. Orientals are  _exotics_ here. You're damn lucky we got the kid. Some sicko will pay a pretty penny for first taste of prime veal."

"If the boss don't want her first."

Eren wasn't sure what they were talking about, but something about their tones of voice sent a chill down his spine. He raised his fist and pounded on the door, and the voices immediately silenced. He knocked again, raising his voice. "Is anyone here? I need help! Someone...?"

He heard a curse, followed by, "It's just a kid. Vinnie, go chase him off."

Shortly, Eren heard footsteps stomping toward the door, which was wrenched open. A large man in rough workman's clothes looked down at him. "Whaddya want?"

Eren sniffled, large tears welling up in his eyes. "I-I'm lost, and it's dark and cold. C-can I use your phone?"

"Ain't got no phone. Now scram!"

"P-please!" Eren stepped forward into the doorway so the man couldn't shut him out. His eyes glanced around the entry of the house, not seeing the other men he'd heard, but he thought he saw a small figure appear at the edge of a door leading further in before ducking back out of sight. "C-can you at least tell me where to go? My ma's going to kill me if I don't get home soon!"

"Listen, kid," the man growled, bending down so his face was right in front of Eren's. "If you don't get out of here right now, then _I'll_ kill you. Now ge-hgglkh!"

"You first." With the man in reach, Eren had brought his arm up, slashing the blade of the hidden knife across his throat. He dropped to the floor with a thud, blood spraying out in an arc and spattering across Eren's front.

"What the hell?!" A voice roared from the doorway, and Eren looked up to see another man charging at him. He ducked under his grasping arms, but a kick sent him tumbling against the wall where he knocked over a broom that had been leaning haphazardly against it, as though one of the men had made a cursory attempt at cleaning the house. As the enraged man charged at him again, Eren grasped the broom and swung the handle out, knocking the man's feet out from under him.

He crashed to the floor, and Eren followed his fall, leaping on his chest and bringing the knife up with a savage yell. He brought the blade down, over and over, until the body beneath him stopped reaching for him.

As Eren raised the weapon for one final blow, large hands wrapped around his throat, and the knife blade went flying, clattering down the dark hallway.

"Little fucking monster." A third man was lifting Eren up by his neck, eyes narrowed and full of rage as he glared at him. Eren clawed at the hands cutting off his air, to no avail. Just then, through eyes rapidly filling with tears, he noticed a small figure creep down the hallway toward the knife. It was a girl, about Eren's age, with long black hair. She picked up the blade and looked up at his attackers back, large gray eyes filled with hesitation and a touch of fear.

Eren jabbed his fingernails into the soft flesh between the man's thumb and forefinger and twisted. The man cursed, and his grip loosened enough for Eren to speak. "Fight! If you win you live! You can't win if you don't fight!"

"Shut up!" The grip around his throat tightened again, but he saw the girl's eyes narrow and harden. She shifted her grip on the knife, and then she launched herself in a running leap at the man's back. One arm gripped his shoulder tightly while the other reached around and plunged the blade into his neck.

The room fell silent save for Eren's heaving breaths. He looked over the three still bodies on the floor, and remembered the time that Mr. Hannes next door had to shoot a rabid dog that had been caught in the neighborhood. They were like that, he realized. Three violent beasts that just happened to look like men and had to be put down. Eren looked over at the girl who was standing silently beside him and asked, "Were there any other men?"

She shook her head, and then shivered, drawing her arms tight around herself. Eren noticed that she didn't have a coat, only a dress and tights and a thin sweater. She shivered again and stared down at the floor. "I'm cold."

Eren reached up for the scarf draped around his neck.

**~~~~~**

**~ May 1924 ~**

**~ Chicago - Near North Side ~**

"...Dad showed up at the house just a few minutes later; he must have seen me running from a window at the Ackerman's. A little bit after that, the police showed up. They found half a dozen women and girls huddled together upstairs. At the time I didn't know why, but they must have been taking them all to a brothel somewhere. After that, Mikasa came to live with us, since my parents were her godparents, and I don't know what happened to the others that were held there. About a month later, Dad went off to England for the war, and I haven't seen him since."

Eren stared down at his hands clasped tightly in his lap, afraid to look up to meet Levi's eyes. Afraid of the horror he'd see there or, even worse, disgust. "Little fucking monster," the man had called him, and he probably was right. Even now, Eren felt satisfaction churning in his gut as he remembered taking out the Titans' men, and even when his memory melted into a haze of red, there was an underlay of sick pleasure. He'd  _enjoyed_ it, enjoyed cutting down those men at the warehouse, enjoyed watching Mikasa's kidnappers bleed out in front of him. Given the chance, he'd do it again, over and over, until his hands were dripping with red and the Titans were nothing more than a stain on the ground and a memory soon forgotten.

He was a monster.

"Eren." Hands on his shoulders pulled him out of his daze, and he found himself being turned to face Levi. To his surprise, he didn't see the shock or disgust he expected. Levi's eyebrows were furrowed together, and his lips were pressed into a thin line, an expression that Eren had learned meant Levi was worried about something. "Does anyone else know about this?"

Eren blinked, confused. "Know what about it?"

"Does anyone know that it was you and Mikasa that took out those three men." Levi's eyes were staring searchingly into his. "Did anyone else see you, or did either of you tell anyone? Anyone besides Grisha?"

Eren slowly shook his head. "No, I've never told anyone. Not before I just told you right now. I'm pretty sure Mikasa hasn't, either."

"What about the other girls in the house? Could they have seen anything?"

Eren thought. "I don't know. Maybe? They weren't locked up, and the upstairs landing looked out over the entry. They could have seen something from there if they'd left their room, I guess."

Levi swore and stood up. He grabbed his coat and hat and turned to Eren. "Come on. Erwin needs to hear everything you've told me, and he needs to hear it  _now_."

"What?" Eren stood up, testing his weight on his injured ankle. "Why?"

"Because." Levi jammed his fedora on his head and swept up his keys. "If the Titans hear about this, they aren't going to be hunting Grisha anymore. They're going to be hunting  _you_."

**~~~~~**

**~ Chicago - Gold Coast ~**

 For a second time that night, Eren found himself recounting the night Mikasa had been kidnapped, this time with Mikasa sitting beside him in Erwin's private sitting room and squeezing his hand reassuringly. Erwin sat opposite him, Mike a silent presence behind him, much like that first morning in Erwin's house nearly three years ago. Of course, this time Erwin and Mike were in their dressing gowns and looking significantly more disheveled, and Levi was present for the entire meeting, leaning against the closed door of Erwin's bedroom.

When he finished, Erwin shut his eyes in thought. "When I first met Grisha Jaeger, Mike and I were in a hospital in London. It was during the war, and we'd both been hit by shrapnel from munitions that were set off in the middle of the base - accident or sabotage - and Dr. Jaeger managed to save my arm, when all the other doctors were insisting it needed to be amputated." Erwin rolled up his sleeve then, showing the ring of scars wrapping around his right bicep. "We spoke on numerous occasions while I was recovering, having both come from Chicago, and a few nights before Mike and I were to be shipped back home, he told me a story remarkably similar to the one you have just told me. Except," Erwin's piercing blue eyes focused on Eren, "in  _his_ version, he was the one that attacked the men and freed the women there." He paused, and Eren's gut sank in realization, just before Erwin opened his mouth to confirm his fears. "The Titans went after Dr. Ackerman and his family because when he was living in San Francisco, he was instrumental in getting a number of their Chinatown brothels shut down. And then your father shouldered the blame for freeing the women here, that drew the Titans' ire to  _him_. And if any of those women there saw anything, if the Titans track one of them down and find out the truth, then their next target will be you and Mikasa."

Eren chewed his lip. "Then...then that means Dad leaving, and Ma getting killed, i-it was because of-"

"No, Eren," Mike interrupted him, voice quiet but firm. "It wasn't your fault."

"But..."

"Eren." The tall man stepped forward and knelt down in front of him to look him in the eyes. "It wasn't your fault. You were just saving an innocent girl and protecting yourself. Everything else, the Titans did on their own; you didn't make them do anything. Leave the blame where it belongs - with them."

Slowly, Eren took a deep breath and nodded, the tension starting to leave his shoulders.

Erwin watched him silently for a moment, then spoke. "Mike. Levi. I want you both to teach Eren and Mikasa everything you know. If the Titans do come looking for them, they're going to be in for a surprise." Erwin straightened in his chair, somehow managing to look incredibly dignified despite the dressing gown and fuzzy slippers. "From now on, both of you are full-fledged members of Freedom's Wings."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, I don't really have any external links related to this chapter, so have a section of the timeline up until the end of the war instead! (Note that Farlan and Isabel do not have official birthdays, afaik, so I made theirs up)
> 
> Oct 14, 1891 - Erwin Smith born
> 
> Dec 25, 1901 - Levi Ackerman born
> 
> May 2, 1903 -- Farlan Church born
> 
> Nov 12, 1905 - Isabel Magnolia born
> 
> Feb 10, 1909 - Mikasa Ackerman born
> 
> Mar 30, 1909 - Eren Jaeger born
> 
> Nov 3, 1909 -- Armin Arlert born
> 
> Jul 28, 1914 - The Great War (World War I) begins
> 
> Aug, 1914 ---- Erwin Smith enlists in the United States Army and is commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant
> 
> Apr 6, 1917 -- The United States enters the war
> 
> Mar, 1917 ---- Erwin is deployed to England with the rank of Major
> 
> Jan, 1918 ---- Mikasa comes to live with her godparents, Grisha and Carla Jaeger
> 
> Feb, 1918 ---- Grisha volunteers his services as a surgeon to the war effort, is sent to England
> 
> May, 1918 ---- Erwin Smith and his attache, Mike Zacharius, arrive in a British military hospital, having been struck by shrapnel from an accidental munition explosion
> 
> Aug, 1918 ---- Recovered and discharged, Erwin and Mike arrive in New York City, where Erwin meets 16 year old Levi Ackerman - Erwin offers him a job
> 
> Nov 11, 1918 - The Great War ends


	6. Bayou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter focuses on Jean and Marco, so if you don't like that ship, you can skip down to where the setting changes to Chicago to get back to Eren's POV.

**~ August 1924 ~**

**~ New Orleans - Garden District ~**

Jean sat huddled in the corner of the balcony outside his room, knees drawn up to his chest. He could hear his parents' voices from there, rising up from the windows of the parlor, which were opened wide to catch the evening breeze. He wondered if they'd stop if they knew he could hear every word.

He had a feeling that they wouldn't care.

"I cannot believe this! We let that...that  _bayou rat_ into our home, give him an honest job, and  _this_ is how he repays us?! By corrupting our son?!"

"Now, Gigi..."

" _Don't_ you 'Gigi' me,  _monsieur_! I want that boy out of my house! _Immédiatement_!"

"It's taken care of, Georgine. He's already been told to be out in the morning, and I doubt he'll even stay that long. We need to decide on what we're going to do about Jean now."

His mother sniffed. "We get him paired off as soon as possible. There are a dozen suitable young debutantes from good families in the city alone. Once he's engaged, he'll settle down and get over this phase."

Jean felt his blood run cold at his mother's words, despite the oppressive heat of the Louisiana summer. He got up and stumbled back into his room, shutting the door behind him as he leaned against it and shook. Bad enough they were sending away one of the few people that had ever cared for him with no underlying motives or conditions attached, but now they wanted to hitch him to some spoiled belle just to keep him in line?

It felt like the walls of his room were slowly closing in on him, squeezing him, suffocating him, as his parents tried to mold him into the shape they wanted - the perfect Southern gentleman who did the right things, said the right things, invested in the right businesses.

Kissed the right people.

Jean crossed his room and stuck his head out into the hallway. There was no one there, save for one of the maids, and he knew from experience that she wouldn't bother to say anything to his parents. Not that they would care, anyway. The elder Mr. Kirschstein hadn't forbade Jean from leaving his room, nor had he even sent him there in the first place. None of the recriminations that had been freely flying that evening had been sent in Jean's direction; as always, he was the victim, coerced into "unnatural" behavior by another. Nothing was ever Jean's fault; someone or something else was always to blame, and as usual, whatever the  _perceived_ cause of his problem was, it was quietly (or not so quietly) gotten rid of in the hopes that _this_ time, Jean would do as was expected of him.

Jean tiptoed past the parlor where his parents were still plotting out his future for him. He went through a door at the end of the hall and breathed out a sigh of relief as he entered the one room in the house where he had any truly happy memories. The one room where his mother's influence did not reign supreme - the kitchen.

Madame Kirschstein seemed to regard the task of preparing food as beneath her, and so that particular sphere was ruled solely by the family's cook, a mixed-race woman of Haitian Creole descent who'd been there for as long as Jean could remember. The rest of the staff looked up to her with a respect bordering on awe, and to Jean she was more like a mother than his own had been. Everyone on the estate called her "Mama Edesie," and if you were sick or hurt or needed advice or had any kind of problem, you did not bother the master or mistress of the house; you went to Mama Edesie.

As he shut the door behind him, the cook looked up from where she was getting the bread ready for the morning's baking. One sight of his face had her wiping the flour off of her hands before holding her arms out to him. "Jeanbo."

The next moment, Jean was folding down into her embrace, his face buried against her shoulder as the tears he'd been holding in finally slipped out. "I don't know what to do, Mama Edesie. I don't know what to do."

"Shh, _mon petit_." She pushed Jean back, hands cupping his face and calloused brown thumbs wiping away the tears dripping down his cheeks. "What you  _want_ to be doing?"

"I..." Jean hesitated, but Edesie had never looked down on him for anything before, so he continued, voice barely above a whisper, "I don't want to lose him."

She patted his cheek and looked up into his eyes. "It's not an easy path you be choosin'. You know dat, right?"

Jean swallowed heavily and nodded. "I know."

Edesie turned back to her dough. "Den get up dere to yo' beau, and you and him get ready to leave. Later, after everyone gone to sleep, de two of you come down here to Mama Edesie, and she will see what way de path takes you.” 

Jean watched her for a moment longer before retracing his steps and moving on, hurrying up to the servant's quarters on the third floor. One of the doors was slightly ajar, a narrow beam of light spilling out into the hallway from it, and Jean opened it the rest of the way and stepped inside. There was a boy there, his back to the doorway as he packed clothes and a few keepsakes into an old, worn carpet bag. "Marco... You're really leaving tonight?"

Marco's hands stilled for a moment, a folded shirt held above the opening of the bag. Then he stuffed it inside and resumed his packing as if nothing had happened. " _Mais oui_. Tought I should get outta here before de bum's rush in the morning. 'Sides, dis room was always too hot in de summer anyway." His voice held a brittle edge of forced cheerfulness, sun shining through a cracked window that threatened to shatter at any moment. "You shouldn't be here, Jean. You'll get in trouble wit' you Pa again."

"I don't care." Jean watched as Marco's hands kept moving, methodically packing away the few belongings he'd managed to accumulate in the two years he'd worked and lived there. "Hey..." Jean reached out and clasped a hand on Marco's shoulder. "Hey,  _look_ at me." He forcibly turned the other boy around and looked up into familiar warm brown eyes. He frowned as he saw the way those eyes were rimmed with red, and Jean leaned forward and tilted his head up to press his lips against Marco's.

Marco was still for an instant before his lips started moving, kissing Jean back, his hands settling on either side of Jean's narrow waist. And then it was over all too soon as Marco pulled away to look at Jean. "Dis is what got us in dis mess in de first place,  _cher_. You parents-"

"My parents," Jean interrupted, "are too busy deciding which poor, unsuspecting girl to shackle to me to bother with either of us. Pa will probably just send one of the maids up in the morning to make sure you've gone, and, knowing Ma, she won't demand I stop sulking in my room until noon at the earliest. And we'll be long gone by then."

"We?!" Marco placed his hands on Jean's shoulders and pushed him back. "Jean,  _cher_ , no. Even if Grand Isle wasn't de first place you Pa would look when you was gone, you can't go wit' me dere. Little town, anybody knows anybody else's bidness."

Jean just nodded. "I know. That's why I've been thinking we've got to go to a city. A  _big_ city, where everyone is too wrapped up in their own selves to worry about what anyone else is doing."

Marco's eyes narrowed in speculation. "We jus' follow de river until what? We get to St. Looey?"

Jean shook his head. "Pa's from St. Louis; it'd be too easy for him to find us there." He paused as his mind worked rapidly. "No, we get to St. Louis, and then we follow the Illinois River up to Chicago. We get jobs there, get a place to live, and disappear in the crowd."

Marco chuckled and leaned his forehead against Jean's. "You been tinkin' 'bout this since before we got caught out. _Canaille_."

"Sometimes." Jean gave Marco another quick kiss. "Come on, finish packing and then we'll go down to my room. Mama Edesie wants to see us once everyone's asleep."

**~~~~~**

**~ November 1924 ~**

**~ Chicago - Towertown ~**

Eren shivered a little in the cool breeze and pulled his suit jacket tighter around himself as he waited for Levi to come out of the shop. He probably should have followed Levi's example and taken a coat, but the weather had been fairly pleasant when he and Mikasa had gone to school that morning; however, the wind had picked up by the time it let out in the afternoon, and it had been getting colder ever since. There'd probably be frost on the ground come morning.

He looked up as he heard the bell hung over Schofield's ring as Levi came outside. "Find anything out?"

Levi shook his head. "They're keeping their cards close to their vests. Fingers are pointing to the Genna brothers and Torrio, though." Levi sighed and stopped walking to pull out a cigarette, and Eren stopped with him. The flame of his lighter shone briefly behind his long, gloved fingers as he shielded it from the wind. Levi took a deep drag and blew out a cloud of smoke before they continued walking. "My guess is Weiss will be the new de facto leader of the North Siders, but Drucci and Moran will be calling the shots just as much as he does."

They were back in Levi's car by then, and Eren relaxed into the passenger seat as the wind was mercifully cut off. The drive back to the antique store was quiet and uneventful; the cops that had been swarming the area yesterday after Dean O'Banion had been gunned down in his own shop had all gone back to their regular posts as if nothing had happened.

Levi pulled up on the street outside. "I've got a couple things to take care of at Wings. You can wait with Mikasa and Arlert until I'm done, and then I'll take you both home."

"Is it okay if I go down to the bar first? Connie said they'd be practicing today."

"Knock yourself out, kid. It shouldn't take me more than an hour to finish up."

Eren grinned and got out, following Levi toward the alley. Ever since Erwin had made the decision to make them more fully involved with his operations, Levi had been more lenient with Eren, although he still seemed reluctant to allow him into the bar itself when it opened in the evenings. As they stepped off the sidewalk, Eren heard a voice call out, "Hey! 'Scuse me!"

Eren turned to see two boys about his own age approaching, both of them carrying travel bags. Eren assumed they were tourists. "Yes?"

His suspicions were confirmed when the slightly taller of the two, a freckled brunet, smiled and pulled out a much folded map. "Sorry to bodder you, _cher_ , but we was wonderin' if you could point us to de Water Tower? We got a mite turned around."

"Yeah, sure. You're not far off." Eren bent over the map with the brunet, pointing out on the paper where he was going to want to turn. He was so absorbed in it that when Levi suddenly moved behind him, Eren jumped in surprise.

There was a sharp cry of pain from the brunet, and Eren's eyes darted down to where Levi's hand was clamped around the boy's wrist. They widened in shock as he saw his own wallet clutched in the brunet's hand. The boy tried to jerk away, but Levi just tightened his grip, pulling out another shout from the brunet. " _Feet pue tan_!"

"Amateur," Levi muttered before he plucked the wallet away and tossed it to Eren. "I can't believe you fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book, kid." Levi yanked down on the arm he was holding. "Now, as for you-"

"Let him go!" The other boy, a blond, was glaring at Levi. "You got it back, so let him go!"

"I don't think so."

Before Levi had even finished speaking, the blond was charging at him. He never reached him, however, as Eren stepped into his way and grabbed his arm, using his own momentum to send him tumbling to the ground with Eren pinning him.

He didn't stay pinned for long. He fought like a cornered cat, legs and arms all flying wildly, and he and Eren ended up tussling on the pavement of the alley until a voice called out, "Jean, stop."

"You might want to listen to your friend." They both froze and looked up to see Levi standing behind the freckled boy, one hand holding his arms behind his back while the other pressed his pistol just under the right side of the brunet's jaw. "Stand up. And no funny business this time."

The blond scrambled to his feet, fear clear in his eyes. He started to reach out toward Levi, but dropped his arm when Levi shoved the barrel harder against the other boy's jaw. "Please! Please don't hurt him!"

"Shoulda thought of that sooner. Now, if you don't want to see what your friend looks like with half his face missing, you're going to do exactly what I say." Levi jerked his chin to his left. "Eren, grab their bags and follow behind us. And you, blondie. You're going to open that door over there and turn right. Then you're going to go into the first room on the left. And don't even  _think_ about running."

The boy grit his teeth and spun on his heel, walking toward the backdoor of Arlert's Antiques. Levi nudged the other boy forward, and the four of them ended up in a small, windowless office, furnished simply with a desk and three chairs.

"Sit." They both did, easing into the two chairs facing the desk as they eyed Levi warily. Eren dropped their bags in the corner as Levi holstered his gun and walked around the desk. Instead of sitting, Levi placed his hands flat on the surface and leaned forward on them. "Now, who told you to target the Eren?"

The two boys exchanged confused glances. "No one tol' us to target no one," the brunet began. "He jus' happen to be in de right place. Or de wrong one."

"Then why did you pick him? There are millions of people in this city; what made him stand out?" Levi narrowed his eyes at the boys in suspicion, and Eren realized with a start that Levi was trying to find out if the pickpocketing was related to the Titans.

The blond, that the other boy had called Jean, murmured. "It was the suit."

Levi straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Explain."

Jean glanced out of the corner of his eye at Eren. "That's not off the pages of Sears and Roebuck. It's not even a suit someone bought in a store and had tailored. You only get that kind of fit if it's specifically made for you. And anyone who can afford to get a bespoke suit for someone that's going to outgrow it in less than a year isn't going to be hurting if some pocket change goes missing."

"Well, aren't you a regular pair of Robin fucking Hoods." Levi straightened up with a sigh and took off his hat to push his hand back through his hair. "Fuckin' mess." He put his hat back on and walked toward the door. "I have to call Erwin before he leaves Survey for the day. Eren, come with me. You two are gonna stay put right here."

Eren picked the bags back up and followed Levi out into the hall. He looked over his shoulder at the two boys as he went out. Jean was bent over with his head buried in his hands while the other boy whispered something to him, a hand placed comfortingly on his back. Then his view was cut off as Levi shut the door and pulled out a key. He inserted it into the keyhole, and the door locked with a soft "click."

Levi nodded at the floor. "Just dump their stuff there. I'll go through it when I get back." He disappeared into the shop, and Eren set the bags down. At one point, he leaned his ear against the door, but he couldn't make out anything except for a murmur of low voices. Levi shortly returned, kneeling down on the floor to open up the first suitcase.

"Hey, Levi?" Eren spoke quietly so his voice wouldn't carry through the door. "Erwin's not gonna have you...do anything to them, is he?"

Levi shrugged. "Who knows? Why the soft spot all of a sudden?"

"Well it's...it's not like they were gonna hurt me..."

Levi's hands froze, and then he carefully pulled out a violin case. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." Levi flicked the clasps up and slowly lifted the lid. He peeked inside and swore under his breath, flinging it the rest of the way open to reveal...a violin. "Who the hell carries an actual violin in a violin case? Honestly..."

Eren chuckled to himself, and Levi moved onto the second bag. The search was similarly fruitless, turning up nothing but clothes and a second instrument - a trumpet this time. He was just finishing up when Erwin walked into the hallway from the direction of the garage, Mike close on his heels. "Well?"

"Nothing here but a couple of instruments. I think they really are just two kids in over their heads."

Erwin nodded toward the locked door. "You have the scamps in there?"

Levi side-eyed him. "No one talks like that anymore. You sound like an old man."

"I am an old man." Erwin motioned for Levi to unlock the door. "Mike, you wait out here. No point in scaring them  _too_ much after all."

"Yeah, those eyebrows of yours are scary enough on their own," Levi cut in.

Erwin just snorted and schooled his face into a mask of stern disapproval and opened the door. The two boys inside straightened up in their seats as Erwin walked into the room and sat down at the desk across from them. Eren fell into place standing just behind and to the side of where Erwin was sitting, and Levi closed the door and leaned against it, a bored expression settling over his face.

"So," Erwin began, his voice a low rumble, "I'm Erwin Smith, and I've been informed that you attempted to steal from my godson. First things first, I need to know your names. Now."

The brunet looked down at the hands clasped in his lap and muttered, "Marco Bodt."

"Jean Kirschstein."

Erwin blinked. "Kirschstein? As in the St. Louis Kirschsteins?"

Jean winced and looked away from Erwin. "No."

Erwin arched an eyebrow. "Really? Because I do business with them quite often, and I seem to recall a rumor that one of the family members has had a son go missing in the last few months."

Jean's already pale skin went even paler. "...I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh? So I suppose if I telegraph Benjamin, he won't have any idea who you are either?" Jean remained silent after Erwin's question, and Erwin smiled slightly before softly asking, "Why did you run away?"

Jean and Marco exchanged a look, and Jean shrugged. "Just wanted to get away, was all. No special reason."

"And that's all there is to it, is there?"

Jean lifted his head to stare Erwin down. "Yes."

Erwin's fingers drummed on the desk and he sighed. "Well, then. Seeing as how your father is a business colleague of mine, and that it was your friend that did the actual stealing, I suppose I can send you back home."

Jean gaped at him, "No, you can't... Marco can't go back, Pa... He kicked him out..."

"Oh, you completely misunderstand. Only  _you_ are being sent back. Marco will have to stay here to face the consequences of his actions."

"What?! No! You cain't-!" Jean jumped to his feet, his carefully cultivated Midwestern accent slipping away into a drawl.

" _Cher_." Marco tugged at Jean's sleeve, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder at Levi, who hadn't moved an inch from his spot at the door. "Set youself down."

Jean lowered himself back into his seat and drew in a shaky breath. "I-if you're going to call the police, then you can call them on me, too. It was just as much my idea as it was his."

"Whatever makes you think the  _police_ will be involved?"

Jean and Marco both stared at Erwin in horror then, and Jean reached out for Marco's hand, gripping it so tightly that Eren could see his knuckles turning white. Jean started shaking his head, muttering, "No. No, no, no."

Eren's heart dropped down to his stomach, and he started to take a step toward Erwin to say something, but Levi caught his eye from across the room and gave a tiny shake of his head. Eren stopped, swallowing heavily.

By now, Jean was leaning against Marco, eyes tightly shut as Marco murmured something to him in what sounded like French. Erwin watched them for a moment before speaking again, voice much gentler than before. "Jean. Marco. You boys aren't just friends, are you?"

The two of them stilled. Jean looked up at Marco and then over at Erwin before he quietly said, "No."

Erwin's lips twitched upward. "Now, will you tell me the truth? I can guess why you ran away, but how did you end up here? And why were you stealing?"

Marco started, "Jean's pa, he caught us in de shed. Fired me on de spot and ordered me out. De cook, she knew one of de steamboat captains in town, got us a job wit' him."

Jean took up the story. "We worked our way up the river. Got out at the north end of the first captain's route, caught another steamboat a few days later."

"By work, I assume you mean with the bands on the steamboats?"

Jean grimaced. "Of course you looked through our things... Yeah, with the bands, when we could. Otherwise, we did whatever they needed. We were going to try to get a job as musicians when we got here, but..."

"Most of de jobs here for players, dere in de speakeasies, and de don't trust outsiders lest you can get somebody to vouch for you. So's we took work where we could get it, odd jobs here and dere, but dey didn't last, and de money didn't neither."

"We had to leave the boarding house we were staying at today, and we were kinda desperate at that point..."

"I see." Erwin leaned back in his chair. "Levi."

Levi pushed away from the door and turned around to step out into the hall. Jean still hadn't let go of Marco's hand, and he jumped a little in his seat when Levi came back into the room and placed the two instrument cases on the desk. Jean and Marco glanced, confused, from their belongings back up to Erwin, who was grinning openly now.

"I've been in a bit of a bind lately. The band under my employ has been two members short for quite some time. So, as recompense for your actions, I'm afraid I'm going to have to require you to audition."

Jean's thin eyebrows knit together. "You employ a band...? For what? Dinner parties or something?"

Erwin laughed. "Oh, nothing quite so genteel as that, I assure you."

Eren couldn't stop the grin from overtaking his face as he realized the full depth of Erwin's scheming. He must have had some suspicion about the relationship between the two from the start, and, once he'd gotten confirmation, he couldn't have asked for better candidates to fill the empty spots with the band, considering the nature of Freedom's Wings's clientele. "Connie's already here. You gonna take them downstairs now?"

"That is an excellent idea, Eren. Come with me." Erwin stood, and gestured for everyone else to follow.

Jean and Marco exchanged one last nervous glance before grabbing their instruments and following Erwin and Eren out the door. Levi left last, and as they went out into the hall they were joined by Mike. Down at the speakeasy entrance, Farlan was the one who opened the door for them, and they walked in to find a much larger crowd than usual scattered around the tables for this time in the afternoon. Besides Farlan, who went back to polishing the glasses at the bar, Connie and the other two band members, Thomas and Samuel, were taking a break at one of the tables next to the stage. Nearby, Mikasa and Armin were sitting with Connie's friend, Sasha. Sasha wasn't an official employee of Freedom's Wings, but she was there so often with Connie that most people considered them a package deal.

Connie looked up when he heard the door open and called out, "Hey-o! Look alive, fellas! Boss-man on the premises!"

Erwin walked up to the group and chuckled. "And good afternoon to you as well, Mr. Springer. I take it you still have positions open?"

Connie grimaced, "Yeah. Hard to find someone discreet enough." Then his eyes lit on the two unfamiliar faces trailing behind Erwin. "Whoa, you found someone?!"

"Two someones, actually."

Connie grinned. "You are the cat's pajamas, boss-man. I'd kiss you if I wasn't sure tall, blond, and hairy would break my arm for it." Then Connie pushed past Erwin, grabbing Jean's and Marco's hands in turn to shake. "Name's Connie, double bass. The blond over there is Thomas, our drummer, and the quiet one is Sam. He plays sax. What about you?"

Jean and Marco both looked a little overwhelmed, which was a common reaction for people meeting Connie for the first time. Marco was the quickest to recover. "Marco, trumpet."

"Horn man, perfect." Connie turned to Jean. "And you?"

"Uh, Jean. I play violin."

"Hm." Connie rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I was hoping for a pianist; Daz, our last one, left us to work solo for Pixis. But I think we can adjust for a fiddle."

"Oh, I can play the piano, too." Jean grimaced a little as if he was remembering something unpleasant. "Just please don't ask for 'Moonlight Sonata.'"

Connie laughed. "Nah, man, not much chance of that here. Tell you what, you two get up on stage, and we'll try out a couple pieces, see how you fit in. Where you from, anyway?"

"New Orleans."

As Marco got his trumpet out of the case and Jean went up to the piano already on stage, Eren made his way over to sit down with his friends. Armin raised an eyebrow. "Been busy?"

"It's been...interesting. I'll tell you later."

The other three all shot him curious looks before turning their attention back to the stage. Connie got his huge double bass, which dwarfed him by a good nine or ten inches, settled on his shoulder. "New Orleans, huh? You two know 'Tin Roof Blues?'"

Marco grinned over at Jean. "He axin' us if we know 'Tin Roof Blues.' Dat like axin' if a swamp's got gators."

They started to play, and Sasha immediately jumped to her feet and hauled Armin out onto the dance floor, over his protests. "Sasha! I can't dance!"

"Phonus balonus! You dance just fine, Ar!"

"Sashaaaaa!"

Mikasa and Eren laughed and watched Sasha steer a hapless Armin around the floor until the song ended. Then the band began the Charleston, with assurances that Jean and Marco would be sick of the song by the end of a night's performance. As it started, Sasha let Armin go, and pulled Eren to his feet to take Armin's place, and he let himself be pulled, only pausing long enough to shrug out of his jacket and toss it onto a chair.

When it was done, the band stopped playing to talk animatedly with Jean and Marco, and Connie shot a thumbs up to Erwin from across the room before continuing their conversation. Sasha hopped up on the stage next to them, and Armin and Mikasa even made their way over. Eren, on the other hand, drifted over to where the adults were sitting at the bar and talking quietly together. He hopped up onto a stool on the other side of Levi from Erwin, and Farlan poured him a glass of water and slid it to him. Erwin smiled at Eren. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think you really scared them for a minute there. You scared me, anyway."

He laughed. "I was supposed to be scary." He glanced over at the group of youngsters gathered on the stage, an expression not unlike fondness settling over his face. "We'll give them the same set-up most of the employees have - wages and lodging. I believe the apartment two doors down from yours is still empty, Levi?" Erwin owned - through proxies - the apartment building where most of the Freedom's Wings employees lived. They didn't have to live there, of course, but it was convenient to have them in a building where they wouldn't have to worry about nosy neighbors questioning their comings and goings, and they got a quite generous deal on the rent and a building that was kept in good repair and pest free, so the majority took advantage.

"Mm." Levi hummed in agreement as he sipped on a small glass of whiskey. "It'd be a little cramped for two, but I get a feeling those guys won't mind." He set his glass down and narrowed his eyes at Erwin. "You know, your tendency to hire people that steal from you is really starting to worry me."

Erwin smirked into his glass. "You'd think I 'd learn after the first time, wouldn't you?"

Farlan laughed out loud on the other side of the bar. "I think he's got you there, Levi."

"Shaddup." Levi glanced over at Eren, who was looking back and forth between the three of them, questions burning on his tongue. Levi reached out and ruffled his hair. "I'll tell you the story some other time. kid."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Levi pushed his glass toward Farlan and stood. "C'mon, get your sister. Time to go home."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Articles:  
> [Cajun phrases](http://sugiebee.blogspot.com/p/cajun-french-language-dictionary.html)  
> [Cajun pronunciation](http://www.boodrow.com/mainwebsite/cajun_dictionary.htm)  
> [Cajun swears](http://www.cajunradio.org/CajunCussWordsCajunSwearPhrases.html)  
> [Dean O'Banion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_O'Banion)  
> [Jazz bands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_band)
> 
> Pictures:  
> [Steamboat from 1920s postcard](http://i.imgur.com/QSonOLD.jpg)
> 
> Video/Music:  
> [Tin Roof Blues](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43S1Yk5PMoU)  
> [The Charleston](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJC21zzkwoE)


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